Tuesday, August 1, 2023

WORLD TRIATHLON Beaugrand and Le Corre make it double golden day for France at WTCS Sunderland


 

Near-perfect day for Team France ahead of Paris Test Event as Beaugrand and Le Corre scoop golds at WTCS Sunderland

It was another vintage day for French triathlon on Saturday afternoon, this time in the north of England, as Pierre Le Corre won his long-awaited first Series gold at the end of a thrilling sprint finish with teammate Leo Bergere and Cassandre Beaugrand out-ran compatriot Emma Lombardi to the women's gold.

It had been a gripping final lap of the men's 5km run with New Zealand's Hayden Wilde also right in contention before having to settle for the bronze, Germany's Annika Koch winning her first Series medal with the women's bronze. 

 

Men's report

The sun was out on the sprint-distance Sunderland course, but the wind was whipping up across the 14C North Sea and it was a knee-deep water start for the 59 men after the tide had washed pebbles up the beach.

Wilde and Vilaca took to the far side of the start, Bergere and Schomburg to the right, a 750m swim towards Sunderland lighthouse ahead. It looked like things had strung out at the final buoy, Bergere and Briffod staying close to Chase McQueen and Diego Moya up front, Wilde and Vilaça 14 seconds back, Mario Mola just 20 seconds back as they hit the beach.

Schomburg was soon pushing the bike with Series debutant GB’s Max Stapley, Wilde heading up the chase group 20 seconds back with Le Corre and Vilaca, Manoel Messias and Mola suddenly almost a minute off the front.

Bergere leads breakaway

At the bell, just as the chasers were finally closing and had been seen to reel in the leaders, Bergere, Batista and Reid broke away and suddenly had daylight behind them, ramping the gap up to 10 seconds by the time they hit T2. Batista then missed his bike rack and lost precious time, Wilde earning four seconds back on Bergere thanks to another fluid transition and he was soon reeling in the Frenchman and then out on his own up front once more.

After building a useful gap over the first kilometre, Le Corre and Bergere then quickly regrouped and worked together to put their training plan into action, winding in Wilde and setting up a three-way finale, Vilaca 11 seconds back with Henri Schoeman, Vetle Bergsvik Thorn 25 seconds back and Richard Murray picking his way through the field.

Le Corre made an effort to hurt his rivals on the final climb at the start of lap two but the elastic didnt break then Bergere hit the front and then he and Le Corre finally dropped Wilde down the hill to the blue carpet, Bergere ahead by a length only to see Le Corre surge past at the tape to record a famous first win, Vilaca over in fourth, Richard Murray in fifth.

“I didn’t have a good start to the day, the swim was not my best,” admitted Le Corre, ‘then I had to bridge the gap to the first group. On the bike I felt great, I thought that this was going to be a good day for me. I train with Leo all the summer, and we have a special ‘Hayden Wilde’ training session – we have trained for this situation, so we knew when we should attack him. We played his game and it worked. I have been waiting five years for this (first ever WTCS victory), so I am really happy today!”

"We practiced a few times in the last few weeks in Font Romeu how to beat Hayden on a sprint," admitted Bergere. "It was kind of for fun but we had the chance to practice it today. I feel really great about Pierre as well, his first win, so happy for him. On the bike I tried my best to do a breakaway, but a lot of guys were just sitting, so it was frustrating. But I took the race for my own and did the race for myself."

"The last couple of weeks I have been training really well, but I had a bit of a runny nose in the last few days so the recovery was just not there as it should," said Wilde. "Maybe I pushed a bit too hard after Hamburg. But kudos to the French boys, they raced really well today. We played a lot cat and mouse on the run, I did all I could and I am happy to take the third."

 

Women's report

Even after the exertions of a huge WTCS Hamburg win just a fortnight ago and having a late bike replacement after Friday’s course familiarisations, Cassandre Beaugrand of France rose to the occasion once more on Saturday afternoon to take gold at the first WTCS Sunderland and send out a huge signal to her Olympic rivals ahead of next month’s Test Event.

Leading out of the water and then working well as part of a seven-deep group for much of the 21km bike, she was one of 28 athletes pouring into transition together as the packs merged, then clicked into her familiar stride and a pace that only Emma Lombardi could match. The former U23 world champion wasn’t able to hang on for long, however, and Beaugrand soared home to take the tape and the gold, Lombardi silver, Germany’s Annika Koch going one better than her previous career best of fourth in Hamburg by sealing an excellent bronze.

Feuersinger flying early on

Switzerland’s Therese Feuersinger put together a brilliant 750m in the water, shrugging off the cold temperatures to lead Beaugrand and Vittoria Lopes at the end of the swim, Germany’s Lena Meissner and GB’s Olivia Mathias right there, Gwen Jorgensen only 25 seconds back with Lotte Miller and Julie Derron.

Beaugrand and Feursinger then got away together for the first bike lap but had under 10 seconds to the chasers including Lombardi and Koch and soon they’d caught on form a nimble group of seven out front and going well together. Miller and Meissner were spearheading the chase group 19 seconds back at the halfway point of the 21km bike, but at the bell they’d come together and it was Olivia Mathias leading a big train of athletes past the packed grandstand. Lotte Miller pulled out with a back niggle to preserve herself for the following day’s mixed relay, and suddenly it was Lombardi with daylight out of transition, Rachel Klamer in close pursuit with Swiss pair Cathia Schar and Julie Derron, Leonie Periault giving chase and Beaugrand five seconds back.

French pair lead the wayIt took no time for the Hamburg champion to be back out in the lead with Lombardi sticking to her shoulder and Annika Koch working her way into a strong position in third with daylight to a group headed by Derron, Marlene Gomez-Goggel and Nicole Van Der Kaay, Klamer hanging on in 8th now 18 seconds back, Periault falling in a group and losing her chance to challenge.

Then Beaugrand finally dropped Lombardi, taking the hill solo for the last time and opening up 14 seconds on her nearest rival to allow herself the time to savour that finish chute. Lombardi looked thrilled with a third Series silver, Koch likewise with her best result and first podium and followed across the line by a disappointed Periault, Gomez-Goggel in fifth ahead of Klamer.

“Emma was pushing me until the end so I had to dig deep,” said a thrilled Beaugrand. “This was a great day for the French team, the goal was finishing in the podium the three of us together, Leonie was fourth finally but we were quite close. It was a great day for me, I have been training really well and all my training group was here to cheer for me, my coach, my boyfriend. It was a very special day for me today!”

"I knew Cassandra was gonna be tough, I just kept pushing as long as possible and did my best," said Lombardi. "I'm really happy, especially because this is a sprint, not my best format, but I am happy to be back on the podium."

"I am overwhelmed, it is amazing," said a smiling Annika Koch. "After Hamburg I was happy, but my first podium ever feels unbelievable. I tried to chase Emma, I had a good view of the distance on the turning points, I tried to focus and catch her but I am happy to take third."

For the full results click here https://triathlon.org/results/result/2023_world_triathlon_championship_series_sunderland/576187?mc_cid=b1d1874415&mc_eid=6139649918

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